Blog

It's too cold out there. You haven't got time. You're too busy. You've already tried your new year's resolution. The gym is not your thing and there's always something stopping us from taking that first step.

Ending on June 30, 2018, Inspiro’s dental clinic is offering a checkup/x-rays/clean and professional whitening package for $535. This package includes take home whitening.Take home whitening is a tooth whitening system where we take a mould of your teeth and make plastic trays that fit your...

These biscuits aren’t your regular healthy flavourless  biscuits, they’re soft, chewy and most importantly full of nutritious ingredients. They don’t take long to make and whether you’re having them for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day these biscuits are a healthy alternative to a food...

On Thursday 26th April 2018, Inspiro awarded our annual tertiary scholarships to three Yarra Ranges students: Molly Horne, Zoe Eggleton and Nicole Wong. They were awarded up to $3000 each in scholarships. The awards recognise and reward local residents who are studying at university in a...

 Remember the movie Mean Girls? The one with Lindsay Lohan who plays the sixteen-year-old home-schooled girl in Africa, who returns to the US, to attend a public school? The movie looks at female high school social groups and the damaging effect they can have on girls.

Find all of our dental advice and information articles here in the one place.

Inspiro is now open at Belgrave! Local residents can now access essential community health services in an expansive (and easy to park at!) modern and comfortable building - The Belgrave Community Hub (did I mention it has its own kid’s playground and huge slide - have a look at the photo at the...

Sexting, online bullying, video game addiction, obsessive checking for messages, disruptions to lessons and sleep, anti-social behaviour are becoming more common in the digital age. Come along to this screening of the film Screenagers on Wednesday 30 May 2018 at Mooroolbark secondary college (T...

On Saturday the official opening of the Belgrave Community Hub was held at 1616/1622 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave VIC 3160. It was a very proud moment for many who had worked on this project for some time.

Years ago I worked in the administration office of a Melbourne high school. One my strongest memories from that job was when all the year seven kids started. They looked so much smaller than the senior kids. They were often unsure of what to do and where to go and come to the office.

Stressed at school? Feeling pressured, depressed, or anxious? Parents annoying you or not understanding your situation? Parents don’t understand what you mean, just not getting it or think it’s still the 1980’s?

The NDIS will not pay for things that are not related to your disability. For example, the NDIS will not pay for things that everyone has to pay for likefood, electricity or movie tickets. The NDIS will not pay for things that other parts of the government already pay for. For example, Medicare...

Once you have joined the NDIS, you will be contacted by an NDIA representative or an NDIS Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to have a planning conversation to create your NDIS support plan.

Many people are asking, what is the NDIS? The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a new way to help Australians under 65 years of age with a permanent and significant disability get the care and supports they need to take part in everyday activities. The NDIS is managed by the...

People aged over 65 who are currently receiving funded disability support will continue to get support under legislated continuity of support agreements, unless they choose to move across to aged care or health services.

If you are currently getting disability services that are due to phase into the NDIS, you will be contacted by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or a Local Area Coordinator to arrange access. 

This article is about accessing NDIS funding in Victoria. For accessing NDIS funding in NSW, QLD, the ACT, TAS, WA or SA click here. You can then follow the links to find out if NDIS funding is currently available in your area.To access the NDIS in Victoria, you must:

Many people are asking, what exactly does the NDIS pay for? In this article we will explain what the BDIS pays for and try to explain why they pay for those things. If you have any more questions after reading this you can call us directly on 97388810.

 To help prepare for your first NDIS Plan and discussions with your NDIS planner or local area coordinator, we can provide you with an NDIS assessment report and quote of the supports you need to achieve your goals,, and an understanding of how much it would cost. This will give you the...

The NDIS offers four options on how your plan can be managed, this gives you choice and control over the providers you select and how often you choose to use services. We have listed the four ways an NDIS plan can be managed below. If you would like more information about these four ways to...

Read more about the NDIS services that Inspiro provides by clicking here.Inspiro is a registered NDIS provider, which means we meet the requirements set by the NDIA for experience, qualifications, approvals, capacity to provide the approved supports, and quality standards.

Are you feeling stressed, or anxious, or tired,  or emotional, or like you aren't meeting expectations? We get it. 

Inspiro provides counselling, peer support groups, youth health support, medication recovery programs and other assistance. Counselling at Inspiro Lilydale, Inspiro Belgrave and Inspiro: Healesville is now available and is free for youth, young adults and teens. Scroll down the page to see the...

Space 4 Us is a free peer support program for young people aged 13–18 years who have a family member with a mental illness. Meet other young people in similar situations, share experiences and learn new ways of looking after yourselves and dealing with others with mental illness: 

Tracey Higgins – Inspiro dietitianA common question I get is "what is the healthiest breakfast cereal?"  And my answer is.....

The national insurance disability scheme, called the NDIS. is a new Goverment initiative designed to simplify providing support for Australian's with a disability (click here to read our in depth NDIS explained article).

Exercise for Diabetes is a type 2 diabetes exercise class that can help you better manage diabetes. These fun exercise classes reduce glucose levels through a variety of different exercises suitable to your health. Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays Times: 11am-12pm, 1:30 – 2:30pm (more classes...

Do you remember your days as a teenager? How did you spend your time after school? An average high school student juggles around homework, sport and their social life on a daily basis.

Want to relieve hip and knee pain? This four session exercise program is affordable and effective.

Reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke with Inspiro's Life! Program.

 Staying steady anti-ageing exercise class in Lilydale is an exercise class for positive and healthy ageing. How long does it go for? This exercise class runs for 10 weeks and can help improve your strength, balance and general fitness.An exercise physiology assessment at Inspiro’s Lilydale...

Inspiro has free youth and teen counselling for young adults and high school aged youth located in the Yarra Ranges and the Yarra Valley.  Call us on 97388801.

Inspiro will be running an NDIS info session as part of the Interchange Outer East Carer Support Groups activities for parents and carers of a child or young adult with a disability.

The Move for Mobility Group is a gentle exercise group that is ideal for people who want to improve their mobility. The group will help get you moving again with strength, balance and stretching exercises for upper and lower limbs. Most exercises can be completed sitting or standing.

Kelly Williamson: Inspiro writer.

Having worked in a home-based day care setting the biggest thing I came to understand is that each child is unique. One thing that remained common however was the importance and benefit to the child for connection before correction in assisting with taming...

 What is the Community Outreach Perinatal Support Service?

• The Community Outreach Perinatal Support Service (COPSS) is a counselling and support program offered to new and expectant parents who may be dealing with or at risk of, perinatal depression
• The service is offered across the Eastern and...

Inspiro CEO Announcement 

The Board of Directors at Inspiro are pleased to announce the appointment of Sue Sestan as the Chief Executive Officer with effect from Wednesday 7 February 2018.

Little Joey's Playgroup is a supported playgroup for women with young children who have experienced family violence.

 By Courtney Vinck - Inspiro Editor and Accredited Practicing Dietitian

Why is cholestorol such a big deal in health?

Supermarkets are overwhelming and intimidating. You're in a rush and you dash into a supermarket for some basics but you end up spending way more than you'd planned, and probably not on the good healthy stuff.

Learn how to manage and understand your diabetes, feel better, have a higher quality of life and take better care of yourself.

The Understanding Diabetes program runs for four sessions with each session running for 2 hours. The program runs at Inspiro in Lilydale on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th...

Being more in control of your eating and your emotions around food seems difficult but it is possible. Improve your eating choices by making easy modifications to your eating.

A few months back we asked Yarra Valley Noticeboard members to help us improve by completing a short survey. A huge number of people completed the survey and we have since passed the results on to management and to all staff. On behalf of Inspiro I'd like to personally thank everyone who took...

Inspiro's social skills group for youth and teens is held at Inspiro in Lilydale. The group is for young people aged 12-17 who are are on the autism spectrum and is provided at no charge. Participants can learn skills to help solve social problems, manage emotions and interact with others in a...

Inspiro community health has a new medication support and recovery service. More information about this new and free specialist service is provided in the media release below. Support services will be provided at Inspiro Lilydale and Inspiro Tecoma (soon to be Belgrave).

Congratulations to our Inspiro Survey 2017 prize winners. The winners will be contacted by phone and email. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey, your responses have helped us to improve the quality of our services that we provide to the public.Here are the winners:

Free 30 minute foot care podiatry assessment at Inspiro in September 2017Enjoy a free 30 minute foot assessment with a podiatrist. This opportunity is available for anyone who hasn’t seen a podiatrist at Inspiro before or in the last 12 months.Cost: Free - limit of one appointment per person....

The body image and eating disorders awareness week runs from 3-9 September 2017

Exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle - Jelinna Santiago Exercise is vital to a healthy lifestyle. We must get at least one hour of physical activity every day. Sport develops strength, social skills, teamwork, thinking skills and more.   My sport is cheerleading, I don’t shake pom...

Occupational therapy for children in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. We have clinics in Healesville, Lilydale and Tecoma (Belgrave coming soon). Call 97388801 or

Inspiro has free youth and teen counselling for young adults and high school aged youth located in the Yarra Ranges and Yarra Valley.  For counselling for teens and young adults click here to learn more.Being a teen or a young adult can be difficult sometimes and just like adult’s teens can face...

Did you know that 48% of Australian children get cavities before the age of 5?  And for many children the situation can be far worse than a few fillings. At Inspiro we are seeing more and more children with advanced tooth decay. Many of these children are needing major tooth work such as...

Inspiro partners with Connect4Health to provide a Medication Support Service program aimed at preventing pharmaceutical drug overdose   Eastern Melbourne PHN (EMPHN) will provide $850,000 to Connect4Health to deliver a Victorian first Medication Support Service program. The program will provide...

Kids with less teeth enamel need special dental care Cathy Imperial, Inspiro dentist who specialises in dental for children talked to us about the issues she finds when checking children's teeth at school. I recently visited a local kinder to teach the kids how to take care of their teeth....

Deadly Unna. A story of racism Jelinna Santiago, Mt Lilydale Mercy College Deadly Unna is an award winning teenage novel. The author Phillip Gwynne, says that several events from the book are based on true events from his childhood.         In South Australia, there was a small town where...

The facts on coconut oil – is it the best choice? The hype surrounding coconut oil in the media and among health-conscious folk over the past couple of years has been hard to ignore. Considered a staple ingredient of the popular ‘Paleo diet’ and ‘clean eating’ diet trends; hailed as the latest...

Luna White, Inspiro Counsellor  After making these balls for a small event I had a request from a friend to share my recipe for my coco-date balls. So here it is. They've been very popular at work and with friends so I hope you enjoy. Coco-date healhty bliss balls 1 CUP fresh medjool...

Inspiro's Groups and Programs Inspiro's groups, programs and services include a range of activities that cater for all ages, stages of life and challenges. We cater for young children, youth, adults, parents and older people. For more information on any particular group, program or service in...

Did you know that 48% of Australian children get cavities before the age of 5?   And for many children the situation is much worse than cavities. At Inspiro we are seeing more and more children with advanced tooth decay. Many of these children are needing major tooth work such as complete tooth...

By Courtney Vinck Inspiro editor and accredited dietitian (BHlthSciMDietPrac) Does food actually affect the health of your teeth? If it does, how do we take care of those pearly whites? Did you know that oral health problems are the second most expensive disease group to treat each year...

Edited by Courtney Vinck  (Inspiro Contributor and Accredited Dietitian) "My four year-old daughter visited the dentist a couple of months ago for her annual check-up. At her last check up, everything was fine. She has a ten-year-old brother and seven-year-old sister who’ve had no problems...

Water Exercise Classes for joint problems, arthritis, back pain, flexibility and strengthThis lower intensity exercise class is ideal for those who have joint problems, arthritis or back pain, and those who find excercising on land difficult.Inspiro’s water exercise class is a gentle, relaxing...

By Courtney VinckInspiro editor and accredited dietitian (BHlthSciMDietPrac) In the Yarra Ranges area we are very lucky to have some amazing farms you can visit.The school community is getting in touch with food through farm to plate programs like the Jamie Oliver and Stephanie Alexander...

This weeks healthy eating tips from our dietitian Tracey Higgins:"What is better than rugging up and enjoying some comfort food when it’s cold. And these delicious winter eating tips are healthy as well. For a lighter, healthier lower calorie meal reduce or avoid the pasta and add extra vegies...

Last Thursday 11 May Inspiro staff and volunteers attended the historic Mont De Lancey homestead located in Wandin, about one hours drive east of Melbourne.The homestead, located in the picturesque Yarra Valley is an excellent destination for a day trip. It has an excellent café, a museum, an...

Are you pregnant or do you have young children? The Healthy Mothers Healthy Babikes program provides mothers and soon to be mothers with needed assistance and guidance.Call us now on 97388801 or  and ask for Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies This...

By Courtney Vinck,Inspiro contributor and accredited dietitian (BHlthSciMDietPrac)Maybe you heard it from your mum, your doctor or a friend. Maybe you heard it from TV shows like ‘House’ or ‘Call the Midwife’.Wherever you heard it have you been wondering whether breast milk really is best for...

Are you a woman concerned about your health but don't know who to ask? Sometimes women can have things they need to deal with that only another woman can understand. Inspiro provides a Healthy women’s clinic for all residents of the Yarra Ranges and Maroondah council areas. Inspiro's...

Understanding depression   Are you having difficulty making sense of depression, pain or stress and feeling like you’re stuck? You’re not alone. Depression is a real issue that touches a surprisingly large percentage of society     Call now to discuss or make an appointment with Inspiro’s...

Inspiro offers two kinds of water therapy classes; water exercise classes and water hydrotherapy and aquatic physiotherapy classses.Inspiro’s water exercise class is a gentle, relaxing exercise program that uses water resistance to support your body and reduce the risk of muscle or joint injury....

On Thursday 27 April 2017 Inspiro awarded university scholarships to four talented Yarra Ranges students, Rebecca Williamson from Mooroolbark, Jasmine Madge from Lilydale, Jaimee Warren from The Patch and Zoe Vickers from Healesville. They were awarded up to $3,000 each in scholarships, as part...

At Inspiro we realise that sitting at your desk all day is not ideal.  Although it’s “just a desk job,” working in an office can wreak absolute havoc on our bodies. If you’re somebody who spends all day at a desk and computer (which applies to many of the staff at Inspiro), you know exactly what...

Inspiro’s dental unit is excited to announce our new state of the art dental chairs   Recently Inspiro installed some amazing new dental chairs in our dental rooms at Lilydale. Clients are now able to sit in greater comfort in the ergonomically designed chairs that include some really...

Being one of the largest dental clinics in Victoria we see thousands of clients every year. Here are some of the questions we get asked about the dental services we provide at Inspiro. Going to the dentist can be a little scary for many people, but it doesn't need to be if you understand why...

Inspiro Healesville is now open for physio, counselling and exercise physiology. We will be open additional days soon and will be providing dental services to local residents in Healesville and surrounding area's. Counselling includes youth counselling, drug and alcohol counselling and family...

Little Joey's Playgroup is a supported playgroup for women with children aged up to 5 years who have experienced family violence and are now in a safe living environment.

Learn how to be in control of your eating, overcome emotional eating and improve your relationship with food.

I have always been an emotional eater. It’s just been so normal for me for so long, I figured I had no will power and I was just lazy. Feeling angry, I would eat chocolate, stressed, I would go for the chips, or tired I just ate. With a few too many kilojoules I decided I needed to do...

Do your kids eat bad or low nutrition foods at school?  Healthy eating at school sounds like an unrealistic dream for most parents, school teachers and administrators. Most think that even if their school canteens sold healthy food that the students wouldn't buy it anyway. Fortunately, the...

Inspiro's groups, progams and services are tailored to cover all sections of the community at all stages of life. Our qualified clinicians and passionate supporters love getting involved with the community and are dedicated to supporting and helping you achieve results. For more information...

Healthy eating at school project inspired by Jamie Oliver Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s efforts to improve the health of school children Inspiro have launched a healthy eating project with the aim of slowing drastically rising obesity levels in Victorian primary schools. The project tackles...

Children’s Services at Inspiro for Yarra Ranges and Yarra Valley residents   We offer a range of services for young children and their families.   Occupational therapy We work with young children from two years to school entry to address difficulties with: • writing, using scissors •...

Understanding depression   Are you having difficulty making sense of depression, pain or stress and feeling like you’re stuck? You’re not alone. Depression is a real issue that touches a surprisingly large percentage of society     Call now to discuss or make an appointment with Inspiro’s...

Are you feeling pain or discomfort? All Australians can feel healthier and benefit from and a caring physiotherapist. Physiotherapy restores and improves a person's ability to move and function through rehabilitation. 

Private Health Services at Inspiro   Inspiro offers psychology services available to book privately, meaning that you can access our service at your convenience, with flexible times, no waitlist and at a low cost.   If you have private health insurance, we can efficiently and easily process...

Here are 14 healthy plant based snack ideas provided by our qualified dietitian, Tracey Higgins. Crafty marketing and new studies questioning the health benefits of certain foods can make understanding what to eat and drink difficult. Restrictive diets don’t usually work in the long term. At...

Inspiro's Groups and Programs Inspiro's groups, programs and services include a range of activities that cater for all ages, stages of life and challenges.  

We now have a free counselling service for youth, young adults and their families: We are excited to announce that Inspiro have won a contract to provide Youth and Family Counselling Services for the Yarra Ranges Council.

Time to quit smoking?

Let us help you become tobacco free! We’ll get cigarettes out of your mouth for good! Inspiro has a stop smoking service for residents of of Melbourne's South and Eastern suburbs. Stop letting cigarettes dictate your life: Making the decision to quit smoking is a...

Inspiro has a drug, alcohol and addiction support group for families and friends who are dealing with people with addiction.

Call us now on 9738 8801.  

Do you have someone in your life with drug or alcohol problems?

Do you seem to be going around in circles with the same thing happening over...

Are you enrolled to study nursing, medicine, allied health or a health science course at university next year?

Then you are eligible to apply for Inspiro’s University health scholarships.

Applicants must be residents of the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

"Inspiro Healesville is on its way! The development of the new Healesville site is well underway. We are currently working on getting some signage up by the end of next week which will include temporary “Opening Soon” signs. Additionally, we are working with Max IT to get computers, phones and...

Strawberry Springs strawberry farm - Yarra ValleyToo often supermarket fruit and vegetables are not only expensive but also not fresh. In addition they sometimes have the taste of cardboard and the consistency of mush.If you, like me, want to eat healthier and spend less money to do so then...

Are you a woman concerned about your health but don't know who to ask?